Environments, Vol. 12, Pages 489: Long-Term Performance of Natural Filtration Dams for Landfill Leachate Treatment

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments12120489

Authors:
Andrey Ivantsov
Mikhail Viskov
Ruslan Kataev
Nadezhda Ozhgibesova
Zhanna Knyazeva
Yanina Parshakova

The study evaluates the long-term environmental performance of natural filtration dams for leachate treatment at a municipal solid waste landfill. Field measurements of a system operating for 24 years, equipped with natural clay-loam filtration barriers, provide empirical validation for assessing the effectiveness and durability of natural material-based treatment approaches. Hydrogeological studies, including well drilling, water sampling, and comprehensive chemical analysis, demonstrate that the cascade filtration system achieves pollutant removal efficiencies of 80–95% for major contaminants. Physical property measurements reveal progressive density reduction from 1005 to 994 kg/m3 and viscosity decreases from 1.048 to 1.011 cSt across the treatment system. Numerical simulations demonstrate that contaminant transport under actual site conditions remains diffusion-dominated over multi-decadal timescales, with aquifer concentrations remaining below 1% of source values after 50 years. Parametric studies reveal that density-driven convective fingering develops only at source concentrations exceeding 100 g/L. The findings validate the long-term viability of natural geological barriers combined with cascade filtration systems for cost-effective leachate treatment, demonstrating that preliminary treatment through natural filtration effectively suppresses gravitational instabilities and protects underlying aquifers.

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Andrey Ivantsov www.mdpi.com